More than Rebound?
by Rei10
Summary: Is Willow's relationship with Kennedy just a rebound, or is it love? Rated for mild language and some sex talk.
1. Hypothetically

Disclaimer- Blah blah blah, Joss owns all. Blah, blah, blah, Mutant Enemy. Blah, blah, blah, not mine. Blah, blah.  
  
Spoilers- Mid to late Season 7, the beginning of Willow and Kennedy.  
  
Warnings- If you happen to be incredibly closed minded then get the hell out of here. If girl/girl smoochies ain't your cuppa Java, I suggest you leave.  
  
Synopsis- Willow and Kennedy comfort each other.  
  
Chapter 1- Hypothetically.  
  
"I'm really sorry Red, but maybe this-" Kennedy waved an arm, gesturing to herself and Willow "-is supposed to happen, to help with. well, you know." Kennedy trailed off and moved to wrap her arms around the sobbing redhead. "Maybe it'll help if you got involved with someone else."  
  
Willow looked up into Kennedy's dark eyes and painfully whispered, "I don't want to say good-bye." Kennedy held Willow closer, in comfort, pushing away all impure thoughts and expectations that had recently crept into her mind. Willow seemed to understand that the embrace wasn't a come-on and she snuggled into it, crying into the crook of Kennedy's neck. "I never wanted to say good-bye." tears soaked through the brunette's wife-beater.  
  
"I know it's hard, but would she really want you to be like this? To feel this bad all the time?" Kennedy crooned into Willow's ear, stroking the redhead's soft hair. She gingerly took the picture that Willow held clutched to her chest and un crumpled the frequently held photograph. The woman it contained was stunning: shiny blonde hair and half-lidded, crystal clear, blue eyes, full lips, and a curvaceous, to-die-for body. Kennedy marveled for a moment before squeezing Willow with all her potential slayer strength. Willow didn't back away; she just returned the gesture, although, her strength was miniscule compared to that of Kennedy's.  
  
The potential felt Willow's head shake 'no' into her neck; she entangled her long fingers into the brilliant red tresses before her.  
  
"She was so lucky, you know that?" Kennedy whispered, kissing the crying woman's forehead.  
  
"I was the lucky one." Willow whispered back, her voice calm, her eyes dry. Kennedy moved her hand down to the witch's chin, lifting it so they could lock gazes. She lingered, mesmerized by the size and intensity of her comfortadee's orbs. New tears welled up, threatening to spill and cover Willow's already wet face.  
  
"Don't cry anymore Red, you'll get me started," It was to late, and Willow watched as Kennedy's dark eyes became moist with tears, "I hate to see you like this Will, I hate to see you hurt." Her tears spilt down from her dark chocolate eyes, her face contorted with all the inner turmoil she was feeling.  
  
Willow's insides scrunched with pain at the sight of Kennedy's distress. The redhead fought the urge to cry harder and instead set out to comfort her comfortador. Leaning up Willow gently kissed the tears from Kennedy's cheeks, just as Tara would do for her. Tara had always comforted her, and now, Willow realized, Kennedy was there for her just as Tara had been. Early in their relationship, whenever Willow had a bad dream or missed Oz, Tara had been there. Now, as they lie in the dark, in Willow's room, on she and her dead lover's bed, Kennedy was comforting her. Tara would often react as Kennedy did, distraught at Willow's pain, unable to make it go away; and they would cry together, comforting each other until they fell asleep.  
  
"Willow?" Kennedy's voice broke through the redhead's flashback.  
  
"Yeah?" Willow looked up into the younger woman's face, awaiting an answer. Kennedy broke eye contact, unable to allow herself to fall under the spell of the hacker's brilliant green irises. "What is it Ken?" Willow snuggled closer, wiping her face dry on the potential's tank top.  
  
Kennedy looked around the room sheepishly.  
  
"Heh, I've never seen you this embarrassed." Willow playfully poked the brunette's shoulder.  
  
"I-I'm in big trouble Red." Kennedy's eyes glistened with new tears.  
  
"What? Are you ok Ken? Are you hurt or something?" The redhead's confusion brought a smile to the face of the struggling potential.  
  
She encased Willow's mouth in her own, the only way she could think to cease the babbler.  
  
"Ken.?" Willow squeaked out a half-moan half-whimper, it had been to long.  
  
"Ok, hypothetically, let's say there's this girl, and I like her a lot. Let's also say that there's this lingering problem, the love of her life died, and she's still mourning. See? Herein lies my problem- I think I'm in love with this girl, but she isn't ready for another relationship. see my problem Red?"  
  
Willow's brow crinkled, "Hypothetically?"  
  
Kennedy nodded.  
  
"Uh, ok, uh," Willow fumbled for words; this was getting to be way beyond subtext, "H-How do you know you l-love her?" The redhead was beginning to sound like her former lover on a bad day.  
  
"Well, I'm at the point where when she laughs I laugh, when she cries I cry, when she hurts I hurt. Is that love?"  
  
Willow gulped, "I don't know, could be, maybe."  
  
"I know what you're thinking Willow." Kennedy smiled and ran a hand down to Willow's shoulder and back up to tuck a red lock behind its owner's ear.  
  
"Do you?" Willow grasped Kennedy's hand in one of her own, pulling it to her lap as sensually as she could muster. It had been far to long.  
  
"Yeah, you think I'm to young to fall in love."  
  
Willow swallowed and nodded, it wasn't what she had been thinking, but she'd play along, "How old is this hypothetical girl?" The redhead was starting to get into this game.  
  
"Well, let's say she's 22."  
  
Willow smirked while Kennedy's thumbs ran over her cheeks, ridding them of any remaining wetness. "You're only 18 Ken, she's to old for you."  
  
"Is it ok if she feels the same?" Kennedy cocked her head.  
  
"I suppose, maybe you could ponder asking her, if you were really in this position, that is."  
  
"I couldn't Red, that would be like taking advantage of her. I don't think she's ready," Kennedy's voice dropped a notch, from playful to one of deep concern, "I don't want to make things worse for you, but, I could help. I want to help, I want to keep you from going away."  
  
Willow's eyes went wide, "No more hypothetical?" She squeaked in a child- like voice. "Maybe the hypothetical girl found her existence to be like a- a security blanket."  
  
Kennedy squeezed Willow, "My parents took away my security blanket, and I lived."  
  
Willow sat up and looked into Kennedy's eyes. "I'm sorry about that."  
  
Kennedy smiled, "That's not the point Red, the point is, I get this odd feeling whenever I'm around you. I want to be what you need, even if it's just a rebound relationship. You make me want to stop being a brat. No one's ever had that kind of effect on me, not ever. It's kinda creepy."  
  
Willow looked down into her lap where she still held one of Kennedy's tanned hands. She let herself fall shoulder-first into Kennedy's body. "Maybe, hypothetically, you can be what this girl needs."  
  
Kennedy stroked Willow's auburn hair, "Drop the analogies Will."  
  
~fin chapter 1~ 


	2. Screams

Disclaimer- I don't own any of this, except the story; terribly boring disclaimer today I'm afraid. Warnings- Uh, not that I can think of, unless you're immature and can't handle talk of sex. Spoilers- If you haven't seen The Killer in Me than yeah, so go. Length- Really, really, really, short. It's more a clip of a chapter then an actual chapter, but I felt the need to put it in just for fun.  
  
Chapter 2- Screams  
  
Anya trumped down the stairs and flopped on the couch next to Dawn, wearing a silly smirk. She looked around the room at the inquiring faces of the Slayer's little sister and all the zit-faced Slayer wannabe's.  
  
Dawn nudged her in the ribs; suddenly Anya remembered why she'd gone upstairs in the first place.  
  
"Do you know what they're doing up there," Anya whispered, "having hot, passionate, sex." She nodded matter-of-factly, a chorus of immature giggles erupted from the crowd of potential slayers.  
  
Buffy walked in just in time to hear the last part of the ex-demon's report. Her eye's when wide and she rushed to Dawn's side, hissing at Anya. "I don't need you informing the whole house of my best friends-" She quickly covered her sister's ears "-sexcapades."  
  
A passion scream could be heard coming from an upstairs bedroom, causing Buffy to jump a few feet in the air.  
  
As if on cue another wave of giggles filled the room.  
  
"Didn't I tell you they were having sex? How many guesses is customary under these circumstances? Three! Three guesses as to where that scream came from." Anya bounced up, off the couch, and into a standing position.  
  
Buffy looked torn, they really couldn't just sit there and listen, "Ok everybody!" The room silenced. "Dawn homework, at Jenna's house; Anya, go home. Everybody else, out back, we need to train if we're going to beat the First."  
  
Rona smirked, "Uh, great idea, but, who's gonna lead us; $20 says that Kennedy's a little busy right now."  
  
Another cry of passion ripped through the house.  
  
Buffy smiled, "I will."  
  
"Right, left, roundhouse, block," The Slayer instructed the backyard full of potentials "Amanda, try to get higher extension on your kicks. Good, good everybody."  
  
"Damn." Kennedy flopped down next to Willow and cuddled her.  
  
"That was- Wow, that was wow." the redhead came down from her high slowly and giddily.  
  
"Wow is good right?"  
  
"Oh yeah, Wow is better than good."  
  
~fin ch. 2~ 


	3. The Night After

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, all is Joss' and anyone else who deserves props but is always forgotten in those seriously annoying 'thanks' at the awards ceremonies Warnings: Nothing big, nekedness, smoochies, and my odd fantasies Synopsis: Kennedy and Willow's romp left it's mark, the return of Tara leaves it's own scars.  
  
Chapter 3- The Night After  
  
Willow rested her sweat-beaded forehead on Kennedy's equally slick sternum. Using just the tips of her fingernails, she ran loving patterns on the olive skin before her.  
  
"Are you alright?" Kennedy blindly explored Willow's bare stomach with her hand.  
  
Willow examined the scratch marks on her body, wiping a few specs of blood away from a particularly deep one. "Yeah, I'm fine; your back is worse. We should get cleaned up, it's almost time for dinner." Willow stood up, wincing at the stinging pain emitting from her abdomen.  
  
Kennedy quickly jumped to the redhead's side, "No, sit down!"  
  
Willow's eyes went wide, they'd been going at it all day, did Kennedy ever get tired?  
  
Kennedy looked slightly flustered, as if reading the redhead's mind; she gently eased the hacker into a sitting position on the nearby desk. "I'll get band aids, stop moving, you're making it bleed more."  
  
"Ok, you win," Willow stopped fidgeting, "I'll stop breathing"  
  
"Don't be silly Red, just don't move a lot, I'll be back in a second." The brunette grabbed Willow's robe off the back of the door and wrapped it around her body, hiding her state of undress. After tying the cloth belt in a knot she stole a kiss and headed out to the bathroom in search of a first aid kit.  
  
Willow watched her lover leave before hopping off the desk and sulking to her dresser, her hand stopped on a knob she hadn't dared to touch in months. She cautiously pulled open the drawer and ran her hand along its contents: Clothes all a few sizes to big, some crystals, herbs, and a small, dark blue, velvet box. Willow removed the box from its place and dug around in the drawer, pulling out a light blue robe. She had brought the robe not for herself, but for the woman who's eyes shared its color. Willow wrapped her naked body and felt a tear run down her cheek. The redhead put her nose to the cotton and inhaled the scent of her deceased lover. Opening the box she found the gift she had saved up for months to buy, the gift her lover had never been able to see. Willow slipped the gold band on her left ring finger and kissed it lightly, running her lips over the pink dolls-eye crystal at its center. Willow pocketed the box and walked outside, not waiting for Kennedy. She stood on the porch and called to the stars each by name- "Hello Short Man Looking Uncomfortable, Moose Getting a Sponge-bath, the Big Pineapple." Willow trailed off as she felt tears sting her eyes.  
  
"You forgot the Little Pile of Crackers, it feels left out."  
  
Willow whipped around at the familiar voice. It couldn't be true! But it was!  
  
"Hello Love."  
  
"Tara!?"  
  
"I've missed you Willow."  
  
"Goddess, Tara!" Willow rushed into her lover's waiting arms.  
  
A look of ecstasy crossed both women's faces; it felt so good to hold each other, to feel the power that surged when they touched.  
  
Willow looked down to Tara's left breast, where it had been pierced. She looked exactly as she did when she died: her shirt bloody and torn. "Tara, I'm so sorry."  
  
"Willow, you don't have to be sorry." Wiccan embraced Hacker in a passionate kiss, both women lost themselves in the pure power- pure love- that they felt wash over them.  
  
"Mm, you're all corporeal. Are you here to stay?" Willow questioned, praying the answer to be 'forever.'  
  
Kennedy peered out Willow's window, her lover was outside on the porch, but someone else was with her. Kennedy's eyes shot wide when she recognized the woman. She walked to the dresser in a daze and pulled the crumpled photograph from its place, turned, and gazed out the window. Kennedy concluded, after comparing the two, that this woman was indeed, Tara- Willow's dead girlfriend. She flopped down on the bed, defeated. "Damn."  
  
Tara shook her head, "I can't stay long."  
  
"Then why did you come back, not that I'm not glad you're here or anything but. it's just going to be harder to say good bye."  
  
"I never got to."  
  
"Neither did I."  
  
"Not technically."  
  
"What? I never got to say goodbye at all."  
  
"Yes you did." Tara untied Willow's robe and slowly opened it.  
  
"Here?" Willow smirked, trying to hide her nervousness. "Can't say this is my wildest fantasy." Her knees buckled and she almost fell over in her fluster when she felt Tara run a hand over her stomach and ribs.  
  
The redhead's act was in vain; Tara knew what her touch did to her lover. "See?" Tara dismissed the joke and ran her fingers over the swollen cuts. "You said goodbye in your heart."  
  
"No! Never, Tara, I love you." Willow's hand shot to Tara's, clutching it tightly.  
  
"I know."  
  
"No, you don't. I didn't say goodbye, I don't want to say goodbye."  
  
"Shhh. Willow, Sweetheart," Tara crooned in Willow's ear as the hacker cried on her shoulder, "I didn't mean it as a bad thing." She stroked Willow's hair.  
  
"I'll never say goodbye Tara, see?" Willow held out her left hand so the blonde could see the ring. "It's for you." She took it off and slipped it on the band on Tara's finger. "See Baby? You're my always."  
  
Tears trickled down Tara's cheeks, "And you're mine."  
  
They smiled for a moment, basking in their love.  
  
"Kennedy." Tara broke the silence abruptly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Kennedy, your lover."  
  
"No, I mean, yes, no, no you're my lover, always, remember?" Willow kissed Tara's ring in hopes of reminding her love.  
  
"Willow, I'm dead. We both need to deal with it. I just need to ask you something."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Well, yes," Tara looked like she would say more but she just kept scrutinizing Willow's lacerations, savoring her lover's naked form.  
  
"Lucky it's dark, huh?" Willow made a 'heh' sound.  
  
Tara didn't answer, she just ran a hand over Willow's body, there were swollen pinkish-red lines marring her lover's shoulders, stomach, hips, and thighs. "Did she hurt you?" Tara's fingers grazed the deeper cut causing the redhead to wince.  
  
"It wasn't anything I didn't ask for." Willow looked ashamed, Tara was right, she had said goodbye. "Kennedy's back's a lot worse though."  
  
Tara shuddered a little, remembering the feeling of Willow's sharp nails dragging down her back, pain bringing pleasure.  
  
"Tara-"  
  
"No, it's alright Will. I understand, I'm the Oz."  
  
"Oh Tara, you're not the Oz, you're the Tara, it's totally different." Willow's voice came out rather innocent and child-like.  
  
The sound of her hacker's little-kid voice almost made Tara break down. The sound of all the innocently naughty whispered thoughts they had passed back and forth screamed in her head like nails on a chalkboard. This pain didn't bring pleasure. "I just wanted to make sure you're alright, and to uhh, say uh, g-goodbye. I don't want to, it sounds so final."  
  
"Then don't."  
  
"Death is final Willow."  
  
".Says the friend of Buffy." Willow smirked.  
  
Tara smiled, "What about Kennedy?"  
  
Willow's smile turned upside-down. "I don't know, I think she loves me."  
  
Tara nodded, "She does, I can feel it. Do you love her?"  
  
Willow cocked an eyebrow playfully, "Can't you 'tell,'" she do-do-do-do-ed the Twilight Zone theme.  
  
"Well, yes, but I want to hear you say it."  
  
Willow sighed, anything for her girl, "I think so." "I love you Willow, and it doesn't make you a bad person for falling in love. We'll never be like we were, I'm dead, but Kennedy isn't, she's very much alive, and very much in love. And she's crying on your bed right now."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Go, I have to leave, Kennedy needs you."  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts, Goodbye Willow," Tara kissed her lover passionately, she would never let go of the two of them together, and she knew in her heart that Willow wouldn't either. She stepped back, "I love you." Tara dissipated into thin air.  
  
"I love you too." Willow stood, shocked, for a moment before retying her robe and sitting down on the porch steps. It had to be at least 11:00pm by now.  
  
Buffy walked outside and took a seat at Willow's side. "Hey Will!" The fake cheer in the slayer's voice poured like rain.  
  
"Hey Buff." Willow's voice came through sullen and depressed.  
  
"Was that Tara?" The slayer quit the perk and tears gathered in her eyes, she knew the answer. Tara was her friend too, and she missed her with a never-ending ache.  
  
"Yeah, but I'm still debating over it just being a dream."  
  
"No, I saw her, and Kennedy did too."  
  
"Kenn?" Willow quickly stood.  
  
"She's okay Will, I just talked to her. She was a little surprised, that's all."  
  
"I have to talk to her." Willow made a move for the door but Buffy caught her arm and held her back.  
  
"Will, wait."  
  
Willow looked back and forth between the door and Buffy.  
  
"Give her a minute, alright?"  
  
Willow caved and Buffy smiled, pulling Willow's arm as a signal to sit. The redhead complied.  
  
"So, how was it? Talking to Tara again?"  
  
"Intense.."  
  
"Like Oz?"  
  
"No," Willow shook her head, "like Tara, not Oz."  
  
"It sure didn't look like you were 'just talking.'"  
  
"Meh-beh." Willow smirked, her mood lightening a little.  
  
"What'd she come for?"  
  
"To say goodbye, that's what she said."  
  
"But that's not what you think? Major subtext?"  
  
"Major Kennedy subtext. I think she came to tell me it was Okay to fall in love again."  
  
Buffy shuddered, "Will, not trying to be grandma, but, I don't like her, she's not good enough for you."  
  
"Really, or do you just say that because you two are so different that you're alike and it irks you to a serious degree?"  
  
Buffy paused to process, "No, It's how she's flirts, and talks about her family."  
  
"You're jealous."  
  
"No! No, I just- I have to support 30 girls with no income, and she always manages to bring up her serious non-lack of cash right when I'm heading off to the supermarket to buy groceries I can't pay off."  
  
"I don't think she means to do it."  
  
"Who knows how her mind works. you should prolly." Buffy nodded towards the door.  
  
Willow got up and walked into the house, "She is strange."  
  
~fin ch. 3~ 


End file.
